Brown’s Endowment Grows to $3.5 Billion

Brown University’s endowment produced a 13.4 percent return for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2017 and closed the period with a value of $3.5 billion.

“From providing scholarships to low- and moderate-income undergraduates to funding cutting-edge research by world-class faculty and graduate students, contributions from the endowment are vital in advancing Brown’s strategic priorities. At the same time, prudent management with a focus on preserving the endowment’s long-term strength ensures that Brown can continue to offer future students the same opportunities for learning, research, and discovery that students enjoy today,” said Barbara Chernow, executive vice president for finance and administration.

Brown’s Endowment

Over the course of the fiscal year 2017 — July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017 — the endowment distributed $179 million to the University’s operating budget, supporting student financial aid, professorships, academic programs, teaching, and research, among many other strategic University priorities.

In total, the distribution represents approximately $19,000 per student and 18 percent of Brown’s operating budget.

Brown’s 13.4 percent return exceeded both the preliminary return of its benchmark portfolio (11.1 percent) and Cambridge Associates’ preliminary mean and median returns for colleges and universities (12.9 percent). Since 2012, the endowment has grown from $2.6 billion to $3.5 billion, producing more than $1.3 billion in investment returns and contributing more than $800 million to support Brown’s operating budget.

Annualized returns for Brown’s endowment for three, five, 10 and 20 years are 5.8, 9.1, 5.2 and 8.6 percent, respectively.

Top Raimondo Appointment

Nicole Alexander-Scott - MD, MPH, and rock star in the making. As Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, she is fast developing a reputation as someone in the Raimondo Administration who can get things done. Her counsel and leadership on developing a strategy on opioid addiction has been widely been lauded.

In addition, she has handled the mundane - from beach closings to food recalls - with competency. An expert in infectious disease, it may be time for her to become a strong leader on Zika.

The CEO

Ronald Machtley - Bryant University's President rightfully deserves to be on a lot of lists, but what few understand is that Machtley’s influence extends far beyond Bryant’s campus in Smithfield. Machtley could make this list as a business leader or as a political force as much as for education.

Machtley is recognized for transforming Bryant University from a financially struggling regional college to a university with a national reputation for business.

Machtley serves on Amica’s Board and the Rhode Island Foundation, and also serves on the Board of Fantex Brands.

Power Broker

Larry Purtill - While Bob Walsh gets the face time as the Executive Director in the media for the NEA of Rhode Island, NEARI President Purtill tends to be the inside man who gets things done.

The teachers' largest union is formidable, but is still reeling from the beat down it took when Gina Raimondo’s pension reform cut the benefits of teachers disproportionately over other employee groups.

Make no mistake about it - not much happens in education in Rhode Island without Purtill's sign-off.

Visionary

Mim Runey - While Rhode Islanders wait, and wait some more, for development on the 195 land, Johnson and Wale's University's Runey is watching it come to fruition, as JWU is set to open the first completed building on the former Interstate on September 1, when it will host a ribbon cutting for its John J. Bowen Center for Science and Innovation.

Under Runey, JWU continues to establish its foothold as one of the country's top schools for culinary training. Now Runey will oversee the addition of the new building on the old 195 which will house the university's School of Engineering and Design and its biology program.

In 2015, students from the School of Engineering & Design participated in the construction of the Holocaust Memorial on South Main Street, a collaboration between the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and the Holocaust Education Resource Center of Rhode Island.

A true community partner in every sense, JWU under Runey's watchful eye is expanding to an even greater presence in Providence.

Chairman of the Board

Edwin J. Santos - The former banker is Chairman of the Board of CharterCare, after having been a top executive at Citizens Bank. He has been a board leader for Crossroads, Washington Trust, Rocky Hill School -- you name it and Santos has helped to lead it.

His best work to date just might be at CharterCare, where he has helped the once fledgling hospital (Roger Williams Medical Center) into a growing hospital system.

Lion Tamer

Weber Shill - He serves as the Chief Executive Officer of University Orthopedics, or in other words, dozens and dozens of oh-so-confident docs.

Shill has a background in Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration from the Whitemore School at the University of New Hampshire. Experienced in managing medical groups, but this group is big and influential.

Boss

Timothy Babineau - President and CEO of Lifespan, Rhode Island's biggest healthcare organization, where financial challenges make the job that much more complicated.

Now, the critics (GoLocalProv included) are raising concerns about the multi- billion dollar organization's refusal to make any contribution to the City of Providence. Lifespan is like General Motors, big and hard to innovate the organization.